Howard Aircraft Corp. DGA-15P accident near Merritt Island, Florida, April 28, 2006
On April 28, 2006 at about 12:05 pm local time, a Howard Aircraft Corp. DGA-15P, registered N95462, was substantially damaged in an accident near Merritt Island, Florida (Merritt Island Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the pilot to comply with the before landing checklist for his failure to lock the tailwheel.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 28, 2006 · about 12:05 pm local time
- Place
- Merritt Island, Florida · Merritt Island Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Howard Aircraft Corp. DGA-15P
- Registration
- N95462 · registry record · serial 771
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he failed to lock the tailwheel for takeoff due to his discontinuation of the checklist to see if the baggage door was secured. The flight departed and proceeded to the destination airport where he landed on runway 29 due to the wind direction. During the landing roll the airplane veered to the right which he attempted to correct with left rudder and brake input but was unsuccessful. The airplane departed the right side of the runway causing substantial damage to the airplane. The pilot further stated he also failed to lock the tailwheel in anticipation of landing.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 4,500 hours in all; 228 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney R-985 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 64FA Palm City FL
- Destination: KCOI Merritt Island FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 29
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.